eurovisionsongcontestfandomcom-20200214-history
Eurovision Song Contest 2012
The''' Eurovision Song Contest 2012', commonly abbrieviated to '''Eurovision 2012 '''or '''ESC 2012' was the 56th annual contest of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was hosted in Baku Crystal Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan, after Ell and Nikki won for Azerbaijan in 2011 with "Running Scared". The two semi finals were hosted on the 22nd and 24th of May 2012 and the final on 26th of May, 2012. The contest was won by singer, Loreen from Sweden with the song "Euphoria" which was written by Thomas G:son and Peter Boström. "Euphoria" earned a total of 372 points, placing it in the top spot. Russia finished in second place, with Serbia finishing in third. They were followed by the host country, Azerbaijan, which reached the 4th place. Albania achieved its first top 5 placing, and finished 5th. Germany, Italy and Spain were the three members of the "Big Five" that managed to rank within the top 10, finishing in 8th, 9th and 10th places respectively. Location Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal parts: the downtown and the old Inner City (21.5 ha). Baku's urban population at the beginning of 2009 was estimated at just over two million people. Officially, about 25 percent of all inhabitants of the country live in the metropolitan city area of Baku. Azerbaijan's first Eurovision appearance was in 2008, and the nation has participated in the contest every year since. On 14 May 2011, Azerbaijan won the 2011 contest with "Running Scared" song by Ell and Nikki, bringing the hosting of the contest to the Caucasus nation of Azerbaijan, and its city Baku. On 16 May 2011, it was announced that a special concert complex with 23,000 seats for the 2012 Contest was to be built near National Flag Square in Baku. Three days later, organisers announced that they may use the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium which contains 37,000 seats, or the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex. On 4 August 2011, it was confirmed that the laying of foundations for the Baku Crystal Hall had started near the National Flag Square, but did not confirm that this was the location. The foundations were completed on 14 October 2011, but the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest, still did not confirm the location. Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, which is currently under repairs to host the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in September–October 2012, was to be used as a back-up option. On 8 September 2011, Azad Azerbaijan TV (ATV) reported that Baku Crystal Hall would be the venue of Eurovision Song Contest 2012, despite not being the host broadcaster of the contest. No formal confirmation was made at the time by the EBU. On 31 October 2011, Ismayil Omarov, the director general of Azerbaijani national broadcaster İctimai Television announced that a decision on the venue choice would be taken by the steering committee in January 2012. On 25 January 2012, it was confirmed that the Baku Crystal Hall would be the venue of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. Even though the venue had an extended capacity of 23,000 people, only 16,000 people were able to attend each show. Baku Crystal Hall was built in order to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. On 2 August 2011, the main agreement was signed with Alpine Bau Deutschland AG to construct the venue and preparations for construction had been started in the area. Even though the full cost of the contract was not named, the government allocated 6 million AZN for the construction of the venue. On 5 September 2011, it was announced that the venue will hold 23,000 spectators. The arena also contains VIP lounges. Tickets for the festival became available online for purchase on 28 February 2012. Semi Final 1 Semi final 1 was on the 22nd of May, 2012 in Baku Crystal Hall. Azerbaijain, Italy and Spain voted in this semi final. The EBU allowed the Albanian broadcaster, RTSH to show the show in Albania later and only used their jury votes because of a serious bus accident in the country. Voting Results Jury/Televote results for semi-final 1 Semi Final 2 Semi Final 2 was on the 24th of May, 2012, in Baku Crystal Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan. France, Germany and the United Kingdom voted in this semi-final. Armenia was suppoused to perform in this semi-final, but they later withdew due to security reasons. This is the first time in the Eurovision Song Contest that two songs tied for tenth place. Voting Results Jury/Televote results for semi-final 2 Final Voting Results Jury/Televote results for the final '12 points' Gallery 4968987-953-ADE.jpg|Albania with Suus Category:Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Category:Contests in Azerbaijan Category:Eurovision Song Contests Category:Swedish Victories